Joe Friday's Blog:

Luke Combs topped the country music win total during the Billboard Music Awards, scoring awards in three of his four nominated categories. Combs earned record-breaking chart success this year by being the first artist to send his first five singles to the top of the Billboard Country Airplay chart.
Dan + Shay were winners for&nbsp...

Midland's new music video for their latest song, "Mr. Lonely," stars actor Dennis Quaid as a womanizer whose misdeeds ultimately catch up to him. The story plays out against a colorful honky-tonk background, filled with line dancing, dart boards, beer cans and a rollicking performance from the country trio.
Co-directed by ...

Dan + Shay have been added to the performers lineup for the 2019 Billboard Music Awards. The country duo will be performing their hit "Speechless", with pop singer Tori Kelly.
Thus far, Dan + Shay are the only country performers for the event.
Also scheduled to pe...

For her performance at the first weekend of the festival Friday evening, Musgraves told the audience, "When I say 'yee,' you say 'haw,'" which the crowd happily did, twice.
But then they were eager to do it a third time-- to which Kacey responded, "I didn't say f---ing 'yee!"
...

Brad Paisley helped break ground Wednesday for The Store, a nonprofit free-referral based grocery store he helped found with his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley. Belmont University is partnering with them.
Paisley personally jumped onto the backhoe on site to officially break ground on The Store's location.
Kimberly ...

Tim McGraw will have new books for sale in two different sections of the store by the end of the year. "Grit & Grace: Train the Mind, Train the Body, Own Your Life" is due out on November 5th.
Meanwhile "Songs of America: Patriotism, Protest, and the Music That Made a Nation" will be released on June 11th. McGraw co-wrote it wi...

Carrie Underwood’s Canadian-born husband, Mike Fisher, has become a U.S. citizen.
Mike was born in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. He shared the news via his Instagram Story, with the caption: “Big day I’m officially American.”
In 2018, Mike retired from the NHL after 18 years, including eight for ...

George Strait broke his own attendance record during the final night of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on March 17.
With 80,108 fans in attendance at NRG Stadium, George surpassed the venue’s previous record of 80,020 attendees, which the King of Country set in 2013. This year’s performance marked George’s 30th time onstage at the Hou...

Barbie, who is celebrating its 60th anniversary, launched a "Be Anything" tour that is "inspiring this new generation of girls to let them know that they can be anything and they can dream big and set their sights on careers that are big and bold and they are capable of reaching those goals."
Other women in the U.S. being honored by Barbie include Yara Shahidi...

The television drama "Nashville" is being adapted into a Broadway musical. Ten-time Tony Awards winner Scott Delman will be the musical's lead producer.
Delman has acquired the live theatrical rights to the "Nashville" franchise from Lionsgate and ABC Studios, the TV show's production companies. Further details about the prod...

Miranda Lambert announced over the weekend that she secretly got married to NYPD officer Brendan McLoughlin.
The country singer posted photos in her wedding dress and him in his tux to social media with the caption "In honor of Valentine's Day I wanted to share some news. I met the love of my life. And we got hitched!...

Kacey Musgraves and Brandi Carlile both won three Grammys.
Musgraves won Best Country Album for "Golden Hour" and thanked her husband, Ruston Kelly. She said, "I really don't think I would have had this album if I hadn't met you."
Musgraves took Best Country Song for "Space Cowboy" an...

Trisha Yearwood will celebrate the 20th anniversary of her Grand Ole Opry induction with an appearance on the Opry on March 12.
Trisha was inducted into the Opry on March 13, 1999, by Porter Wagoner.
Other artists scheduled to appear on the Opry on March 12 include Rodney Atkins, Trace Adkins, Terri Clark and Mark Wills....

Shania Twain is about to launch her film career with the release of the movie "Trading Paint", co-starring acting legend John Travolta. The upcoming film tells the story of a racing veteran and his son who overcome personal and professional issues to triumph on the track and at home.
Twain appeared in the 2004 feature fi...

Carrie Underwood has welcomed her second child, Jacob Bryan Fisher, with husband Mike Fisher.
The country music superstar shared the news on Instagram with photos from the hospital saying, "Jacob Bryan Fisher entered the world in the wee hours of the morning on Monday...his mom, dad and big brother couldn’t be happier for God to trust them wit...

Garth Brooks' next studio album will be titled "Fun". He unveiled the album's title during his Jan. 21 episode of Inside Studio G, noting, "The title of the album was sparked because making it has been such a fun process to go through. Being able to go in and out of the studio while being on the tour, working with the same guys, it’s been amazing.&q...

Jimmie Allen handled a fight from the stage during a show in Rootstown, Ohio Jan. 11. Allen didn't stand for the nonsense, quickly taking matters into his own hands, as a fan recorded and posted on social media.
After calling out for the troublemaker to "relax," the singer ordered, "Get this clown outta here so we can have a good time. Rol...

Kid Rock has started a controversy in Nashville because of a large sign planned for his new bar.
The 20-foot-tall neon sign will feature a giant guitar where the base of the guitar is intentionally shaped like a woman’s butt.
Metro Council approved everything for the sign to go up. The Mayor even signed into law the council resolution authori...

Michael Ray and Carly Pearce announced their engagement, 6 months after going public with their romance.
Michael got down on one knee and asked Carly to marry him during their vacation in Tulum, Mexico, on Dec. 19.
Michael and Carly have both shared messages on social media regarding the happy occasion, with Carly writing: "The man of my ...

Trisha Yearwood debuted her new album, "Let’s Be Frank", a tribute to Frank Sinatra at Williams Sonoma.
Yearwood’s first full-length solo record in over a decade, arrives today at Williams Sonoma stores nationwide and will be available everywhere Feb. 15 on Yearwood’s Gwendolyn Records.
Yearwood re...

Carrie Underwood showed off her class Monday morning when she resisted taking the bait after a Sports Illustrated producer insulted her music.
Jessica Smetana, a producer and showrunner for Sports Illustrated, tweeted “we hate the new Carrie Underwood song” after NBC began tweeting a...

The Route 91 Harvest Festival may return to Las Vegas, Nev., in 2019.
During a music industry conference in Las Vegas, representatives from the festival's parent company, Live Nation, shared that they are making plans to bring the event back. The event did not occur in 2018, after it was the site of a mass shooting in which 58 people were kill...

Blake Shelton has been tapped to host a 2019 Elvis Presley tribute concert special, "Elvis All-Star Tribute Special", in honor of the 50-year anniversary of the famous special "Singer Presents …. Elvis" that aired in 1968.
Also dubbed the '68 Comeback Special, the show came at a crucial point in Presl...

The National Transportation Safety Board concluded the pilot cut the engine too soon as he attempted to make an emergency landing back in September 2017.
Gentry and the pilot were killed when they crashed in a field in Medford, NJ.
According to the NTSB's report, the pilot's mistake led to an uncontrolled descent and instead of landing at nearby Flying W Ai...

The singer shared the news with fans on his Instagram on Thursday evening, along with a picture of Combs and girlfriend Nicole Hocking posing against the backdrop of a Maui sunset. However, according to the post's caption, the actual proposal may not have taken place in nearly as scenic a location.
Luke writes, "She said yes a while ago, but this is a way better place to...

Judge Judy (Sheindlin) is officially the highest-paid host on TV, pushing Ellen DeGeneres into second place.
Judy sold the rights to past and future episodes of the show to CBS for an estimated $100 million last year. Combined with salaries for hosting the show and producing “Hot Bench”, Sheindlin brought in $147 million.
...

You love your family. But chances are, you’re sharing the table with at least a few wacky characters this Thanksgiving. To keep the spirit of the holiday alive (and argument-free), there are some topics that just shouldn’t be broached. Talking politics, for instance, is a huge no-no. You might not want to bring up finances or scandalous secrets. This muc...

Vince Gill has postponed several shows due to being hospitalized with a kidney stone that made him miss the CMA Awards.
The 61-year old singer-songwriter and guitarist was slated to perform alongside longtime friend and former bandmate Ricky Skaggs at the 2018 CMA Awards on Wednesday night but was forced to cancel that appearance at the last minute after bei...

Luke Combs is kicking an old habit thanks to his girlfriend. He tells Taste of Country he finally ditched chewing tobacco with a little loving coercion.
Combs says, "I'm trying to quit dipping — well actually, I have quit. It was 'cause of my girlfriend. She hated that I dipped and you know it was just time. Time t...

Kelsea Ballerini shut down an internet troll who took to Instagram attempting to slam her physical appearance.
The country singer shared a screenshot of what happened when one social media user decided to tell her to "lose some weight."
Ballerini fired back: "I'm not responding to this to give you attention b...

Brett Young married longtime love Taylor Mills on Saturday in Palm Springs, California in front of more than 200 of their closest friends and family.
The newlyweds exchanged personalized vows during an emotional ceremony that was officiated by Young’s father Brad, a pastor, and Van Hazelitt, Young’s manager and groomsman.
Mills wor...

Blake Shelton has announced the Friends and Heroes 2019 Tour, featuring the Bellamy Brothers, John Anderson, Trace Adkins and Lauren Alaina. The trek is scheduled to begin on Feb. 14 in Oklahoma City, Okla., and run through March 23, when it will conclude in Albany, N.Y.
Fans can get access to a pre-sale by signing up for Shelton's ...

Carrie Underwood is building a new home for her family in Nashville, Tennessee.
The country star is currently constructing another house, with just months to go until she is set to welcome her second child with husband Mike Fisher. Workers have been pictured finishing last-minute touches on the nearly completed mansion befor...

Keith Urban invited a bachelorette party onstage mid-show during his recent Graffiti U World Tour stop in Hershey, Pa.
Bride-to-be, Dawn Kitch, jokingly said: “Chad is going to kill me. He told me not to bring you home tonight,” she said. “I’m open to it. I’m not married until Saturday.”
Keith then called Ch...

While saying that he intended to take off 2019, he, instead, announced the North American Stadium Tour, hitting five stadiums per year for the next three years. Brooks announced the first two venues as State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. and The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis.
Concert dates and ticket on-sale information will be announced very soon.
Br...

Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt and Jason Aldean will headline the 2019 version of Stagecoach.
The three-day event will also feature performances by Cole Swindell, Luke Combs, Old Dominion, Kane Brown, CAM, Lauren Alaina, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bret Michaels and Tom Jones.
The festival will be held Friday, April ...